Pure Flame

Saviour, lo! The isles are waiting,
Stretched the hand and strained the sight
For thy Spirit, new creating,
Love's pure flame and wisdom's light

Arthur Cleveland Coxe

Patience

Patience seems to be a word on my mind a lot.
No matter if it's work or in my personal life God always seems to be saying, “Be patient!”. Oh how I've come to not like those words at times. “I want it now!” I yell, but God again replies, “Be patient”. I know that patience is one of the seven mentioned in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. But why then is it so difficult?

Have I just missed that one out and got six (some would argue I have less)? Did I miss that talk at church that taught me how to be patient? I wish there was an easy fix method but unfortunately it involves us to do something....love. Not only love for God but love for those around us, at work, at church and at home.

How often has God wanted you to be patient? What did you do? Did you wait....or did you rush in and get stung and then wonder what happened? It may sound like a Sunday school answer but waiting on God in prayer can help us a lot. Actually waiting for the answer though, not just saying the prayer! In Bill Hybels' book 'Too busy not to pray' he has an amazing little poem to help us remember what to do in response to prayer:

If the request is wrong, God says “No”.
If the timing is wrong, God says “Slow”.
If you are wrong, God says “Grow”.
But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says “Go”.

If the timing is wrong, God says “Slow”. He says, “Not yet, it's not part of my plan for it to happen now, trust me”.

The next time you're struggling with a friend, family member or colleague remember these words from Ephesians 4:2, “...Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love”.

Take a time out, pray, pray for them and most of all love them.

In the words of the theologically accurate boy band Take That, 'Have a little patience'